In The Shadows
by Queen1513
Summary: She died six years ago and Nightwing still mourns her death. Yet she's back in town and ready to show Gotham and Blüdhaven that she means business. And she does... until the new president and his 'head of defence', Lex Luthor and Joker take them prisoner. Batman tries to negotiate but it never occurs to him that they aren't just hostages. Why do they want her and Nightwing?
1. Chapter 1

Nightwing perched on the rooftop like a god would on his throne. In his element, aware of any dangers to his reign and prepared to deal with them swiftly. Blüdhaven would have to do without him for the next few weeks. He was going back to Gotham. The darkness grew more powerful and it came down as a cloak would around his shoulders. His eyes glowed red, covering the natural cerulean they usually showed. He smiled, it would be a whole lot of fun in Gotham. Tim and Jason had been away and he hadn't seen them in close to a year. Jason had a been in his wheelchair and Tim had just broken his wrist for the fourth time. Bruce would be the same. A minor presence that would probably be absent for most of the time. Snow started to fall, smothering the city in it's silent cold. His smile vanished. How long had it been since it had snowed? Too long. It reminded him of her. She had hated the warmth, the cold fed her, had made her more powerful. A tiny speck of salt water wound it's way down his cheek. She was no longer here. He was what… 20! How could he forget a thing like that. That would mean that it had been six years, almost to the day. A shriek echoed up to the rooftop. Showtime!

Bruce strolled the corridors of the manor purposefully. He had to prepare the rooms of the boys. He grinned. He was happy to have his sons home. All of them under his own roof, such a rare occasion. "Alfred?" The old butler turned gracefully, his tails swishing out behind him.

"Yes sir? Do you require anything?"

Bruce frowned. "You are supposed to get some rest. The doctor told me that you would remain in bed for at least another two weeks."

Alfred answered with a scowl and a huff. "Sir, the flu or whatever godforsaken illness that has seized me will be pushed aside until the young masters return and are settled." He was quickly dragged by the soldier towards the door. He struggled. "Sir, I must insist you let me return to my duties." He carried on fighting if a little quickly all the way until they reached a room in the South Wing a floor up from the Master Bedroom. Bruce turned on him. The butler warily glanced around. The room was huge, the four poster comfortable with an ensuite attached. "Master Wayne, what are we doing in here. This room is the guest room. It's traditionally were all the most honoured guests are allowed to stay!"

Bruce was gruff in his tone. "You just got a new room. You will stay here while I get your belongings and bring them up. You will then proceed to get into bed, turn on the television and relax. If you want anything, just call. And Alfred if I so much as see you dust a shelf, then I will lock you in here and won't let you out for anything, understood?"

"Very well, Sir."

The motorcycle wobbled as Dick swerved off the main road. He quickly steadied it and proceeded down the drive, his eyes surveying the gentle rolling flower beds and fountains around the gardens. Home sweet home! It took him a couple of minutes to drive around but he soon pulled up in front of the large house. The gargoyles were the only ones to see him arrive, the gargoyles including their leader, Timothy Drake. "Dick! You're here!" The young boy embracing his older brother, almost tackling him to the ground. His lungs were crushed and it hurt to move his arms.

"Hi…Timothy…" As he was released, the young man leant back on his bike. "How goes life?"

"Great! Bruce and Jason are inside. Alfred said he would have come but he was too ill to even get down the stairs. Doesn't stop him from dusting and…"

Dick took the opportunity to interject before Tim fell unconscious. "So Alfred's ill huh?" It was an hour before they all unpacked and got settled round a pot of tea. Bruce was asking Tim about his training, Tim took that as an invitation to talk for ten minutes about his new video game. "So is it that kind of year again? Already?" Jason breathed the words so softly, it took Dick another few seconds to realise what he was asking. "Yeah. I don't wanna talk about it."

"You should-"

"Father. What has been happening in Gotham recently?" Dick turned quickly to address his host. "Maybe we could go to the theatre or something as it's that kind of time of year?" Jason glared at him like he wanted to rip off Dick's ears very slowly.

"Ummm…I do believe there was something I wanted to take you all to."

"No. I'm telling you no. Right now and it is final." Tim dropped his ebony white cup on the table. All of them grimaced. _The Party._ "I am not going. We never should have. She'll kill us all."

"Look, Miss Heartfield is a wonderful woman who invites all of Gotham elite to her Christmas Party and it is very kind of her to invite you all."

Jason clenched his jaw, Tim scowled deeply and Dick had to take long breaths to keep himself calm. "We are not going." Jason stated. "The woman is insufferable and talks too much. You know what she did last Christmas. Dick was practically deemed unsuitable to even enter through the door. Tim was asked whether he had identification and I… I had to listen to the beastly woman jabber on for an hour and a half about how awful it was that my brothers weren't making as much money as Father. We are not going."

Bruce frowned. Then smiled. The other two winced, smiles were bad. "If you don't go I'll have you do some chores… to Alfred's standards."

"When is it?" Dick groaned.

"Thursday night."

They sunk back into their chairs.

The limousine was extremely uncomfortable. Tim sulked in a seat next to Bruce, arms folded while shooting lightning out of his eyes at Bruce. Dick sat forward, head in hands. He glared at Jason, the eighteen year old thunder cloud. Bruce seemed to pull off his tuxedo with ease, looking perfect in every way with his clipped hair and flawless skin. Tim looked like their father but with an additional few glares. Jason however, had worn a navy suit with no tie and the collar undone. Dick hadn't made as much effort and wore a simple blazer and black jeans. His rugged hair hung low over his brow, almost touching his eyes. The silence almost clung to everyone. "Dick, you could have at least made an effort." Jason smirked, just his way of getting back at him. Jason looked at Bruce for approval. He nodded at Dick and Dick collapsed even further back into his chair.


	2. Chapter 2

Although the company was dull, the decorations couldn't be far from it. The trees lined the hall as if they were soldiers guarding kings and queens. The lights tangled amongst their branches tiny fires of anger. The feast was laid out among the tables, each smell working its way up Tim's nose, he was looking for Jason but he made a note to himself that this would be a major stop between finding his family and getting the hell out of there. Bruce was caught up in a conversation with a blonde haired man with brown eyes. He'd read about him in a magazine or something: Oliver Queen. He looked pretty chill but the woman with them was a witch, bloody stupid Miss Heartfield. The woman was around Bruce's age but everything about was so… fake. The dyed brown hair, the plastic looking skin. She was someone who wanted to be accepted and she wanted to show the world that she was the best. Trying to look young. He was not going to engage in a conversation her. Poor Dick was lurking at Bruce's shoulder, he couldn't move for fear of being noticed in his 'unsuitable outfit'.

"He's an idiot I bet." The woman appeared at his shoulder with a deathly quiet. "The one in the jeans I mean." Tim turned to her, ready to make her squirm at insulting his brother. He stopped. The woman… Her skin was so pale, it rivaled Bruce's, she was a ghost, she must be if she could sneak up on him like that. The next thing he was drawn too after the initial shock was her eye, the deepest grey imaginable with flecks of blue as if they were a portal to an ocean planet plagued by storms. The blue mirrored her turquoise and black striped hair which was tied up in pigtails. He gaped at her dark dress, it was a mixture of bloodied material and black silk, flowing around her till it pooled on the ground as the River Styx may have done if it reached the sea. Battered leather boots slid up legs and a necklace hung from her neck, a dirtied golden. And… the necklace was a bat. It may have been old but the engravings were still sharp. "Aren't you going to stay anything or will I just be ignored?" The words slipped slowly out of her black lips. It was odd, she didn't seem to be wearing lipstick… "Uhhh… you." Her smile was sharp and to the point, ready to mock any who challenged her. "How about I make this easier for the both of us. I'm Mystia. Doctor Mystia Del'Isola."

Tim laughed. "Timothy Drake. Well, actually, I suppose it's Timothy Wayne." She looked about twenty one but her movement was experienced and he wondered if she was older. "Richard's my older brother, but he's not as stupid as you think. Who are your parents?"

Her face was suddenly downcast. "They're not here."

"I'm sorry. I just assumed that you were here with them. You don't look really old enough to be here." He knew what she must have been through. The smile returned to her face.

"It's fine. I don't remember them. You say, I don't look old enough. You do realise that you are what, fourteen? For your information, I own Iso Tech."

It was impressive. He now remembered what he'd heard of her. A genius among primates, that is what an article had called her. A beautiful goddess of wisdom was closer he thought.

"You're beating my dad in stock sales." Tim grinned.

"Yes. I don't really care about that kind of thing though. I haven't even met your father in my career. Perhaps you could introduce me, I was intrigued by one of his interviews about his charity work in the rainforest."

Tim nodded and dove gracefully under the arms of waiters and slipped gently between the bodies of guests. Mystia had no trouble following him. They reached the group containing Bruce, Dick and the witch within seconds whereas it might have taken any other several minutes. "Excuse me, father but I was wondered if you had been introduced to Doctor Del'Isola, she's interested in your charity work." Dick whirled suddenly, his champagne glass falling out of his hand. The glass smashed on the floor, leaving only silence in it's wake as it shattered. His hair hung down and he fixed Mystia with a seemingly disbelieving stare. Bruce frowned at him before turning to the slightly mad character in front of him. She grinned but Jason noticed the glance she threw in Dick's direction and that necklace…

Then the gunfire started.


	3. Chapter 3

Dear readers, apologies but in this story line, I'm just gonna change Dick's age to 24. I'm really sorry but it makes things a little less weird. Enjoy. :-)

It was funny when they screamed. Hilarious even. The sleek operative moved swifter than any human. Luthor was such a bore sometimes, if he could, Joker would be there right now instead of operating with this stupid robot. He'd make a joke about it later and then kill someone. That would make him laugh. "Luthor dear, maybe this time we could go see some folks. Face to face." He drawled leisurely. The billionaire snarled in response.

"We need that cargo and the only way to get it is this way. Do you want the Bat or his family to show up?"

The Joker cackled. "Oh, I don't know. A kick here, a punch there. Two months in jail and then on the run again… OF COURSE I DON'T WANT THAT! I just want a way to get a tonne of money or world domination or… oh some many things on my christmas list."

"I don't even know why I'm working with you." Luthor grumbled.

The hall was in chaos. Dick began to look for a corner where his transformation would go unnoticed. Then he saw Mystia, running toward the kitchens, now empty due to the scene in the room. He nodded to Jason who was slinking behind a wall to don his Red Hood helmet. Bruce had already disappeared and Tim… Tim was doing his own thing somewhere else. Dick barrelled towards the kitchen just as Batman was thrown into a wall. He got up and brushed of the brick dust, he was pissed off. The Bat headed toward the machine yet again. He was picked up and cast aside as Dick pulled off his shirt and revealed the Nightwing costume beneath, his mask slid gently into place as he had done so a thousand times before. No way was he letting them get to her. The robot launched him aside as it passed and he crumpled. But he was up again and slid through the doors, following the metallic killer. Mystia hugged the wall next to the door and he instantly fell quiet as she pushed back into the main hall away from the danger. "What the hell are you doing here?" She whispered.

Her pigtails bounced as she lectured. "What the hell? That's all you're gonna say after six years? I thought you were dead." He was furious with her. He wanted to kill her and kiss her all the same time, she'd left him.

"You think I wanted to fake my death. I did this so you wouldn't suffer. The army, they knew, about all of it. They were closing in on me. I was protecting you. Do you want to know why I built a business empire, I wanted to one day just leave it behind and be with you! But you wouldn't let me!" She was screaming now and he couldn't stop her. The machine turned. "Oh crap." This was all the time he had before the shot hit him in the shoulder. Then Mystia shifted. Her true form. He'd missed it so much, he noticed the look on her face, agony, pure, uncontrollable. It was always like this. Mystia's skin turned a pale azure, her eyes a deep ruby. Golden colour swept through her hair and her pigtails became undone and flopped in waves. Only Mystia's lips remained the same jet-black lips, they pulled into a tight smile and then she whipped the shadows around her at the machine, catapulting it back. Another blast knocked it down. Nightwing smirked. That was his girl. She gently pushed Nightwing back with the shadows and then slapped him in the guts with them. _That'll teach you, you think you are so great. You are the bloody victim. You think that don't you._ That infuriating connection that her species had with their mates, always in contact. Mate, he hadn't thought of her like that. Ever. But he supposed it was true. She walked up to him and bared her sharp canines. He drew her in pressing his body into hers. "I've missed you." He almost whimpered with relief. Mystia's fingers mingled with his long hair and she kissed him ferociously, never letting him draw breath, not even for a second. It was beautifully refreshing, how much was set back off his shoulders. They paused, their cheeks glowing crimson and both panting for air. "How's life?" She asked casually. He shrugged. Then the machine rose again. It's silver armour glimmering, it's eyes becoming a startling green. Then it spoke. "Is this thing on? Ooooo...goody! Listen up, bird boy! You and your feisty little friend better get out of the way before Del'Isola gets out. I really hope you don't get out of the way, then I get to kill you. Please please don't get out the way…" Joker. Dick took a step back ready to protect her but she was already stepping in front of him. "Look, we don't want any trouble. He's got nothing to do with it."

The laugh pounded at her skull. "He's got everything to do with it." The gun levelled at them. Dick could move but he couldn't save Mystia. She may have looked impressive and her brain was certainly impregnable but her fighting skills had something to be desired. The demon was still. Her stare would have been enough to bring down any being, unfortunately the one in front of her was easily three tonnes of metal and laser. Mystia's lip curled back to reveal her teeth, it made her seem even more savage. "Back off." The words rang clear in the air. "Oh, I like this little rodent. She's got emotion. Maybe Batman is finally getting better taste."

"I AM NO MEMBER OF THE BAT FAMILY!" She snapped like a the sound a twig would after being broken from a tree. The Joker chuckled. "Oh, yes, I like you. But time is getting on and I have a date to catch." The machine made a step forward. Dick got into a fighting stance but immediately winced. "Argh!" His shoulder was oozing a deep red liquid and it splattered the floor around him. She grinned. "Don't worry I'll protect you…" Her sarcasm was almost the final thing to finish him off. They folded around her like a suit of armour, she was Hel herself in the darkness. A dulled katana made of the stuff warped into her hands and it slid through the sheets of the metalled electronic. "Hey Lex, is this supposed to…" The comm system shut down.

"God I love you!" Richard whispered and fell down. "Ow."

She took her time, backing away from the crumpled metal before her. "Show-off." Her muttered.

"I know you are." She glared right back at him. His eyelids grew heavy, this was the kind of thing you tried not do in front of someone you'd just reunited with after years, but hey, what could you do? The sudden deadness in the room crept up to new extremes as the bat, hood and robin swept in, their cloaks swaying gently from their shoulders. The tension rose the moment they saw him in her arms, his head on her lap. They actually thought he could be hurt with her, but they didn't know this was just the prologue for bantering. "Oh shit." She was not letting him go and he knew Batman wasn't going to accept that. Fun times.

"Let me attend to my companion." Typical Bruce.

"No." Typical Mystia.

This was either going to end quickly or it wasn't going to happen at all.

"What do you want with Nightwing?"

"I want him." Very vague. Good, he thought, way to make it even more easy for a misunderstanding to occur. He turned, the pain almost clouding his vision but he locked eyes with Jason. The Hood nodded. "Excuse me." He was lifted, god, how embarrassing could things get around her and was thrown out the window. Dick wasn't scared, he'd done it a thousand times before. The blackness caught him a few floors above the ground and people stared as he was suspended there. The shape of his mate, it was tiny compared to that of the moon and she landed beside him as the silhouette of his family stared from above and then they glided away, on Charon's boat too the Underworld.

"Dick…" The Bat gazed after them. "Tim I want you to track mentions online, look through security cameras, anything that will show us the direction he was headed in. Jason, I want…"

Jason laughed. "Bruce, he's fine. Relax, he'll be home soon."

The Batman frowned.

General Conan was not happy to be interrupted. He'd been watching a film with his wife and his daughter had just broken up for the holidays. "YOU'D BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR THIS SERGEANT!"

"Yes sir…" the young man whimpered. "We've found a subject you may be interested in and Miss Waller wanted to a look with your views at the same time, sir."

Waller. "You may remain off-duty for several weeks, sergeant." Anyone willing to take on Waller was bound to be exhausted. "Good job, sergeant."

The young man slumped. "Thank you, sir." The young man staggered back down the corridor not once glancing over his shoulder.

"Waller." Acknowledgement not conversation was the best sort of principle with Amanda.

"Take a look at this, general." She murmured. Her eyes, as where all the operators, focused on the screen. A demon snarled back. "See you've found a direct link to hell, Waller. Not that it would be too hard for you." The general breathed. It was hard when he saw the creature. "What is it?" It was beautiful, in a lethal kind of way. It's cobalt skin glistened, it's hair swept across her body and her nails, for it was female, were the sharpest any animal's could be.

Waller smiled. "An eleven year old search operation has been lead in pursuit of her. She's alien as far as we can tell. MI5 operatives in London got a species out of her, Shal. Her name was unknown until two hours ago."

"You know how we can find her?" The katana had appeared on screen.

"Oh yes. She shifted on tape. Human to demon. Well, as far as we know the human she was, was barely human. She was a genius. Ever hear of Mystia Del'Isola."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi readers. Just to let you know that I changed my user to intelligenta4982 for those who are interested. Enjoy the story:_

 _Oh, this was perfect._ Nightwing sprang across the roof top in pursuit of the gang member. The symbol on his suit glistened in the night. "Satania! Need a little help here." His voice rose a few tones when he jumped of the roof. "You know me!" The pavement was rushing moving towards him, or was he moving towards it? He couldn't think. He hit the pavement hard, the next sound was his scream of pain. "Ah!" She circled the corner, sprinting fast. "What the hell have you done? You idiot?"

"You were supposed to catch me!" He moaned, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"How? I was behind you, remember. Why would you jump of a three-storey building? I'm not an athlete like you."

"You should be, then you'd catch up." Nightwing muttered. His wrist was burning.

"I cannot bloody use my genius then, not to mention the fact that I'm reduced to a human conscious! That is also no excuse. You're just an idiot."

"You've got such an ego. Let's go home. We'll track our stray tomorrow. I know exactly what we can do to take my mind of my wrist." He grinned.

"You are so sleazy." Her body rubbed gently against his as she pulled him gently to his feet. "My wrist!" Dick's breathing was ragged. "I'll live…" He pushed Mystia off him.

"By the way, Satania?" One of Mystia's eyebrows arched. The act of which made her black mask stretch slightly. "I thought I told you that I wasn't going to have a vigilante name."

"I like it."

"It's biblical."

"Well that is how you look. It's very appropriate."

"Piss off."

God, he loved her. He couldn't help himself as he shoved Mystia against the wall. He pressed his lips against hers. He gently wrapped his arms around those hips and pulled her close. Then they swirled and Dick was with his back to the wall. They broke for a second to catch their breath and then resumed their activities. She began to push more on his body as if trying to fuse them and he unlocked their mouths and leant back his head. Their hips began to slowly grind against one another's. She copied his movements and his hands got tangled in her now dyed copper hair. He groaned in pleasure.

"Are we interrupting?" The pair untangled and leapt apart as fast as the Flash could have moved. Nightwing's cheeks swam with scarlet colour. How could they have done that in such an exposed location? At least they hadn't removed any items of their costumes.

The Batman swept forward, his cape swished around his shoulders, rippling like a sheet of jet ink. Jason landed at the other end of the sea front street and Tim appeared strolling down the street leading inland. "B-Batman…" Nightwing stuttered. Mystia slunk slightly behind her mate. She could deal with almost anything but when it came to his family she didn't want to get involved in a fight. The Dark Knight growled slightly. "6 months...no word for half a year."

"Look Batman, we just wanted a little alone time."

"You could've at least checked in now and then. Why did you do it? Every time we got to a scene where you'd been, we didn't find you. You were running away!"

"WELL YOU WOULDN'T HAVE LET ME WITH ALL YOUR PROTOCOLS!"

"Nightwing?" Tim whispered.

Mystia turned him around. He was hissing and Dick's eyes began to glow a deep teal. "He won't let me stay with you. I knew he wouldn't."

"We talked about this. You promised that you'd been talking to him. It doesn't matter now. Nightwing, I need you to look at me in the eye and calm down." The last few words were firm and ordering.

Batman stepped forward and pushed her to the ground. "Get away from my son!" But Nightwing already smacked Bruce across the jaw. His leg went out to trip Jason and as Tim came at him, he knocked him unconscious for a couple of seconds. He raised an escrima stick and it crackled merrily with energy. "She's mine!" He brought is swinging down, ready to kill Jason (who was the closest). Mystia shifted into what he called Satan and grunted as she threw herself into their path. The electricity traveled along her veins, burning her flesh. She howled. The sticks released her and she collapsed on top of Jason who was getting up. Nightwing took a couple of steps back and dropped the weapons. "No…" His voice was tiny. Jason shrugged her off him. She fell onto her front. "OW! That...bugger...that hurt, you flipping..." Her skin faded to pink and her fangs retreated into the roof of her mouth and then she was human again. Dick staggered forward to help her and cradled her in his arms. "How bad is it? What can I do?"

Bruce took the necessary precautions to check Jason. Red Hood clicked a bullet into his gun. "Jason…" It was a warning but Bruce and Tim did not stop him from pointing it at Dick. "It's a tranq. What the hell is going on?"

"Wait! This is all my fault." Mystia desperately stretched forward.

"Talk." Tim crossed his arms.

"Anyone who isn't Shal is, well, affected from prolonged exposure. Especially when they're in a romantic situation"

"Affected?"  
"My body is telling itself that he isn't… compatible."

"COMPATIBLE!"

"It's trying to feed him enough… energy to became a Shal."

"He's mutating?" Her voice was hesitant and small. Tim kicked her in the stomach again and again and Dick moved to stop him before Jason restrained him.

"It'll be fine, Bruce!" Dick protested. "It takes around seven months but then it'll be complete! I didn't want to hurt you!"

The Batman grew silent and his frame was taught. "You would do this without consulting me?"

"It's not your choice."

"Is he going to be safe?" His glare made Mystia cringe.

"I wouldn't have let him done it if it had any risk. My species. Every single one had an ability. Mine was...Satania." She smiled at Dick.

"What'll happen to him?"

"I'm not sure. It'll manifest soon enough. It's in the later stages. He's kinda lucky. There wasn't anyone like me in the history of my people. I'm powerful enough for the mutation to take less time. He'll be fine. I love him. He's my fiance and I would never do anything that wouldn't benefit him. I tried to talk him out of it."

"You whine."

"From my point of view, I'm trying to get on with the in laws."

"If anything happens to him during this process, you will die. If he survives, I'll reconsider my opinions. Nightwing, call me once every week or I swear I'll be forced to put a tracker on you."

The Bat family flew. "That went better than I thought." Nightwing grinned. "I'm really sorry about the zapping."

"I'm sure there is something we can do to make me forget about it." She grinned.

The rope was shot up to the roof of a warehouse. Nightwing pulled her in close and their breath mingled. "Hold on." She yelped as they were pulled up. "Don't worry I've got ya." He whispered and she relaxed in his arms.

"Hey, Luthor. I've got some info on this Satania." The woman strolled down the docks.

"Wait up, Waller. God you can shift it." The General panted beside her.

"It's Mr President." The voice came back over the ear piece.

"You are one smug git, aren't you Mr President."

"I like you, Waller. Just don't test me."

"Why in the world would I do that Mr President?"

"I wouldn't know."

The line went dead.

Nightwing touched down on her apartment floor. The bedroom itself was huge. The skyline poked up outside the window as if trying to see inside but never quite reaching. She smiled as he layed her down on the bed. "You're ruining how special it will be on the big day." Mystia commented.

"Who cares." Nightwing said as he pulled off his mask exposing his pale eyes. "Tonight is the night."

"But… we said we'd wait. It won't be safe for you…" Her own was slid off. They gazed, a bit lost, into each other. Then the beautiful moment of peaceful calm was turned into a primitive time of lust for pleasure. It began slowly. She smiled as he unzipped her dull, grey costume of dark leather. She slid off his escrima sticks and pulled his armour from his skin. He undid their trousers and they lay next to each other. Mystia silently undid her bra and her underwear fell to the floor aside Dick's boxers. They stood in the middle of the room, the bed behind Mystia, the floor to ceiling windows behind Grayson. Then he sharply pulled her into him and she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled herself up so that her breasts caressed his cheek. He kissed them ferociously. She shrieked in surprise. It was a nice surprise. His muscled arms fondled her bum and she ran is fingers eagerly through his fine hair. She wanted him more than anything else in this universe. She wanted him. She lived for him.

Dick panted heavily. This was wonderful. Just to touch her in this way and they hadn't even got started. She moved up and down on his stomach slowly as if craving the thing they both wanted. Then he moved over, with her still clinging to him, to the wall and slammed her back into it. Mystia slid down again so she still hung off him but her parts were equal with his. He lusted after her. He grasped a door frame that was too his left and a wardrobe door to his right and pushed even more wildly against her. She gasped for air. He was so strong. Her legs crushed into him even more barbarically. Then the penetration began. She sighed in ecstasy, they moved as one. He too could not think for the warmth spreading through his veins. She pulled him in even further. Her hands pulled his head into her breasts once again. It only lasted for a few minutes and after another two second break, it began anew. She threw him to the floor and landed on top of him and they rolled. She lavished his lips with long kisses. He whimpered and screamed in joy. "More!"

She hugged his stomach. It lasted longer and she wailed for more. He was only too happy to provide. It went on until the sixth time. They were on the table now. Him on top of her. His desire being expressed in so many ways. Mystia curled her arms around his hips to touch Dick's tight bum and yanked it into her more. Without even realizing into she had shifted. Satania threw her head up in appreciative howl and her legs gripped Dick's waist so hard he couldn't draw breath. He wheezed. She forced his lips to hers, her fangs piercing them. Satania's metallic nails plunged into his back and blood ran from it onto the carpet, highlighted in the white. The thrusts he couldn't control as she jerked him into her. She was literally forcing his...into her. Oh god! He screamed in pain but she couldn't stop. Not now. In a minute. "Stop!" Dick pleaded, his eyes watered from the tears in his skin.

"No! Give me more…" She forced him even faster and stronger. "I need you. You need me."

"Mystia...please… it hurts. We need...to...pause. I can't...stay this...way..." She gazed into her mate's eyes and no longer saw craving but pain. She had to stop. Mystia's forced thrusts became slower. Then they began to increase again. Dick struggled but she held him firm in this form. He screamed even more and she suddenly toppled to the floor. Dick breathed hard. He slowly got up and noticed she'd shifted back. He grabbed a blanket off the sofa and picked her up, cradling her. After laying her down, he got his robe and hers too. When she didn't acknowledge him, he got down next to her. A small dart poked out of her arm.

"I had to." The door to the balcony was open and a dark shape blocked out the moon. Robin stood beside the Batman. Dick cursed violently. "You…" He couldn't express his hatred.

"She's alien. She's stronger than you. You could have been hurt."

"It's not up to you. She had the strength to stop. She was stopping! I can't believe you don't trust me. I can't even believe you brought Tim to this little stake out of yours. You were watching me."

"We weren't. We placed a small bug in the room. We heard your call for help."

"Bruce, I don't know how to respond to that kind of statement. I don't want you to come near us again. If I even catch sight of you near us, I will kill you! Now get out." Dick went back to tugging the dart out of Mystia's arm.

She awoke and immediately searched for Grayson. "I'm so sorry." Her first words when she laid eyes on him in his tank top and shorts. He looked good, not stupidly muscular but...powerful and lean "I was enjoying it so much that-"

Dick cut her off. "I understand. I was too."

"But I-"

"You weren't in control."

"I love you, Grayson." She sighed, her English accent shaking. "I'm so-"

"If you say that one more time, so god I will be forced to go out on patrol without you for company."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No."  
"If you're lying…"  
"I'm not. Now listen, I know it's only 3 in the morning but I'm gonna make pancakes. Hungry?"

"Why are you being so nice?"

"Because that's what I do for people I love. I have already forgiven you before you ask."

"Thanks Dick. But this is what happens every time." she glanced at him and smiled.

"Well it's a good thing that it's only one month until I have fully turned."

"You are seriously irritating, you know that Grayson?" She smirked. "Kind of lucky that you are good at knocking literally anyone out!"

He laughed and she followed him into the kitchen. He was not going to tell her about Batman and Tim being there. He began to mix together ingredients. They chatted and he giggled when she told him a story about her human parents. She cackled when he did his impersonation of Bruce Wayne. The doorbell rang and she looked outside to the golden fires pricking the navy satin. "What time did you say it was?" Dick frowned.

"I said it was 3."

"Who comes at 3? Except for bloody vigilantes." She shuffled in her seat to get up.

"You check the mixture. I'll answer the door." Dick walked into the hall.

He peered through the peep hole. "Hi? Who's out there? Look if you can back at a more reasonable time…"

There was no one outside. He slid the chain gently and undid the lock. He glanced down one corridor. It was empty. It was a crisp white and the lush red carpet sank underneath his feet. Who had rang? He turned to go back inside the large apartment when he happened to see what seemed to be the entire US army waiting on the other side of the door that didn't come up from the stairs or elevator. The lead officer slammed him in the gut with a M16 and he was launched back into the apartment into the wall between the hall and the living area. He got into a defensive stance. Nightwing slammed his fist into the first two officers to enter. He was quickly overpowered although he kept struggling until he was on the ground. "Mystia! Mystia! MYSTIA!" He hollered as loud as he could. The butt of the pistol landed swiftly on his temple. The cuffs snapped shut. "This is Harrison, we have secured the male. Main target will be in possession soon."

Mystia heard Grayson, what was going on. Two dozen soldiers swarmed into her open plan. "Surrender and you won't be harmed." A brown eyed woman ordered calmly.

Mystia frowned at the guns pointed at her. "Where's Grayson?"

"Richard Grayson is in our custody. He will not be harmed." The woman was speaking slowly as if Mystia was not used to speaking English. "You are being arrested on suspicion of terrorism, first degree murder and the torture of civilians. Please give yourself up."

Mystia put down the spoon she'd been using for stirring. "Not without a fight." She got ready to shift but hesitated. She was uncontrollable. "We have authorisation to use any means necessary."  
Two of the commandos dragged Grayson in, idiot had to go get captured before the fight. He had a large cut on his forehead and he looked half dead. He was murmuring and trying not to close his eyes. His hands were chained (behind his back) as were his ankles.

"If you don't surrender, we will shoot him if needs be."

Mystia dropped her stance and shrugged. The soldier threatening Dick dropped the gun and one of the officers approached with a set of cuffs. She headbutted him. She shifted as she rolled across the counter, turning blue. She snatched a knife in the process and sliced down on someone's flesh, careful not to go too deep. "Let him go…" she pointed it at his capturers. Then a bullet rang out. She searched Grayson frantically with her eyes but didn't see him bleeding. He was focusing wide eyed on her stomach. She looked down and saw the stuff oozing out of her, desperate to get away it seemed. "Oh shit." She lengthened the words. Then she fell and Grayson tried to lunge forward.

"She should be fine if we get her to the professor quickly. Keep an eye on the male, he's dangerous too."

"MYSTIA!" The male was resisting, trying to get to the main target. Harrison secured a piece of duct tape across his mouth. "Wouldn't want to wake the neighbours. Here, this'll stop the transformation or any other thing. Genetic damper or something." She handed two bracelets to an officer. They were snapped onto their wrists.

"Ahhh!" The scream was made silent by the woman's hand.

"Will someone shut her up? Here's the tape. They're a talkative pair these two. Now move."

No one noticed that they weren't there the next morning.


	5. Chapter 5

I own the character Mystia Del'Isola. I do not own anything else except for the plot.

The sedative had been given with an extremely rough touch. Mystia coughed violently, trying to clear her airways desperately. Her reddened face turned to survey the room. She was strapped to a reclined metal table that was at around a 45 degree angle. It was dark - someone could have been lurking at the edge of the shadows and she wouldn't have known. Mystia squinted. Her glasses…

The restraints dug into her skin, irritating it. She reached out to the energy entwined with the deep gloom. It didn't budge. "What's happening?" She started to hyperventilate. "This cannot be happening." Her voice was now desperate, pleading for answers. "DICK? What's going on? DICK! I need you! PLEASE!"

"Nightwing will be here soon. I'll guarantee that. What I really am interested in is-"

"Luthor you bloody-"

"Very good. I wasn't sure you'd recognise me. I wasn't aware the Shal watched presidential debates." He was purring. His green eyes reflecting the bright light that the medical bulb cast out. Her lip quavered. "What do you want, Luthor? Why do want us here?"

"Information. That and… well scientific curiosity." His white teeth almost glowed.

She figured it out so fast. She was fascinating - a prime example of life. Mystia Del'Isola was a goddess.

"You can't...Nightwing. I won't tell you anything and you know that. Why don't you just piss off?" Her voice was almost... tired?

"You should watch your language. I'd appreciate it if you could introduce me fully to my new secret 'head of defence'. I believe you met at a Christmas party, yes?"

The Joker strolled through the door, skipping the last few steps to stand beside her. "Oh yes, it was Miss Del'Isola wasn't it?"

"Doctor…"

"I told you that I liked her."

Lex laughed heartily. Then pushed firmly on Mystia's stomach. She screeched. The wound had been covered with bandages and tape but a hint of red still peeped through. "We don't want to break her. Joker, I want you to begin kindly."

Mystia's eyes flickered to the Clown.

His smile was wide, so so wide. It was going to hurt. It was going to hurt so badly, she'd probably be driven insane. But Grayson had been such an idiot hadn't he, for all his bloody training.

The shirt she was wearing was ripped swiftly, her bra standing out against the pale stomach skin. "So unscathed?" the Clown crooned, longingly.

Lex once again chuckled. "Doctor Del'Isola, we'll start of easily. We want the program to hack the Watchtower. Where is the program stored?"

"I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about."

Lex circled her. "We know you created one. Just in case the league came for you."

She grunted. Her hair was stuck to her forehead, it was such a nuisance.

"Joker. Begin." The order made her cringe backwards. "Aye, aye sir!" The Joker giggled. His eyes wavered across the table of instruments she hadn't before noticed. It took a split second for him to pick a little knife (as he called it). The Clown surveyed her stomach. Then the knife dug. It started near her right breast and it went diagonally across to her hip. She screamed. Her mind was telling her to calm down, it would heal easily. But it burnt. The tears weren't voluntary, and with her writhing they traced her curves to the cut, it was like a thousand bees were stinging her constantly. "Tell us."

"No - ahh." She couldn't talk properly.

"Joker." The second one hurt even more. The Joker dug the knife in even more this time, stifling laughs that threatened to escape him. "Tell us." She had to resort to shaking her head. It went on for hours, the cutting. Then she snapped. "I hid the codes…"

Lex leaned forward, eager to hear the secret. "Joker, we'll pause for a second. Where did you hide them?"

"Blϋdhaven. At the docks. The pier closest to the warehouses, the furthest board out to sea."

The President grinned. "Perfect. Thank you for your cooperation."

Two of the soldiers entered. "Take her to the cell. Remember to keep the suppressant constant in the room." The straps were undone and she struggled. It was futile. The corridors were all a stark white. It hurt her eyes. "Where?"

"Relax." The woman, Harrison, she was there. And for some reason she did.

The cell was designed for a Shal, controlled air flow, centred in the middle of a large room with glass walls on all sides. It could withstand anything and could even contain bunks, one enclosed toilet and a sink. One of the walls rose and she was shoved inside, her blood smeared on the floor. She lifted her head inquisitively. She screamed as the skin on her chest was torn even further. A figure jumped down from the top bunk. His feet, her entire reference point. "Mystia?"

Grayson. Thank God.

"As if my day couldn't get any worse." She tried to smile.

He rolled her over, now cradling her like a child in his arms. "What did they do?"  
"It's fine. I can't feel it anymore." She gasped.

Dick was unable to look at her, all the blood and flesh. She wasn't going to survive if her abilities were lowered like this. He lifted her and placed her gently on one of the bunks. "It'll be fine. Get some rest. I'll talk to Luthor." He growled and she tried to protest. He just kissed her on the forehead. "I'll take you to your favourite restaurant when this is over and we'll call Jason and your friend, Katie, and go to the cinema and watch an action movie. You just have to stay alive, OK?"

"Just promise we can change the name, Satania. It feels too offending. I don't want to blaspheme." He nodded. She tried to smile but ended up grimacing.

He turned to the soldiers and scientists surrounding them with their clipboards and work stations. "I have a deal to make with Luthor." He was clear and firm but under his breath he muttered, in Romanian, a string of curses.

"What is it now?" Luthor scowled at the purple clad psycho in front of him. "We just secured the code I needed. Can't you just leave me for a minute?'"

"My bird boy wants to make a deal. You know, he's my favourite. Almost better than the Bat. He's the original ya know."

"I have no interest in your obsessions, idiot. What is the deal he wants?"  
"No idea Lexy! But you promised me him. So I want him. Now."  
"I said you could have him once I had secured my presidency. She is mine. He is yours. That is the deal. Let's go see what he wants." He sighed. How many interruptions was he going to have?

The Clown grinned. "My pleasure. Oh and if you wouldn't mind, I'd love Harley back."

"Fine."

He'd been waiting for Luthor for an hour! She was deteriorating and a couple of her wounds needed binding. The gunshot hole was infected and he couldn't do a thing about it, trying to wash it clean. When Luthor came in, it was hard not to slam against the glass and attempt to break it. "Nightwing or is it Richard now? Very hard to tell the difference. What do you want?"

"I'll tell you everything. Anything. I just want you to stop hurting her. Stop lowering her abilities so she can heal." His hand slid down the glass.

He beamed. "Now that is a tempting offer. I'm inclined to agree. Scratch that, I will agree."

"Just relax, Bruce." Tim stalked after him. His father was typing on a computer frantically. "Nightwing is just angry at you, you invaded his privacy, even I could have told you how he'd react. Just leave him alone."

Bruce whirled to glare at him and Tim accidently took a step back. "Dick hasn't been home in three days. He hasn't turned up to his job in five. Dr Del'Isola hasn't been seen in a week. She hasn't attended meetings or gone into work. There have been no flights or trains with any of his aliases on. They've just disappeared."

Tim huffed. "They must just want to get away for a while."

"Oh no. You see, not many know this, but both of their accounts have been frozen. Iso Tech has been temporarily transferred to Del'Isola's friend, Katie Solstice. The number that froze them is that of one Amanda Waller."

"Luthor found out. He found Nightwing and Satania or whatever the hell she's called. He must have… got them? Is that how I say it?"

"So Richard. What can you tell me?" Dick was sitting opposite Luthor with his hands before him, the cuffs securing him to the table painfully.

The young man leant forward. "You let Mystia survive and I'll tell you how to catch the Bat. I'll tell you how to get every single hero and vigilante on this planet."

Luthor nodded to Harrison, she pressed a few buttons and on the small screen, he saw the shift. She was going to be fine. "Now Mr Grayson, I am looking forward to our partnership but if you cross me, she will die. I am also partial to a few of the things that she contains. For example, some of the blueprints for...uh...the nanobots developed by Iso Tech. I think that you're an obvious choice for a bargain. If she fails, you die. If you fail, she dies. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Tim began to search almost as dramatically as Bruce. Jason quickly joined them when the news was spread. "Have you actually contacted Waller?"

"Yes. She just said and I have these words on tape that 'the bastard won't tell her a thing and that she wishes she could knock him off."

"Sometimes I really like Amanda." Jason muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I only own Mystia Del'Isola and the plot. I wish I owned DC but I don't.

The video came through at 4:00 AM. The Bat rushed to the screen and practically shoved Jason onto the floor as he sat in the chair. The room was darkened and the quality a little grainy "Come on… what's your move, Luthor?"

"Well, well, well. Well… hello batsy! I've got a great joke! What happened when Superman wanders into…? Oh wait! That wasn't it…" His face filled the screen. Joker swivelled the camera. "So, my dear bat, say hello to ya boy! The best one! And the in-law!" Nightwing lay crumpled in a metal chair, his arms tied to the arms of it tightly. His eye flickered beneath their lids but otherwise his frame was still. "Grayson here was sooooo annoying! I simply had to shut him up. Nothing like a crowbar. I think your second fake knows what I'm talking about." Del'Isola writhed violently from her seat as the Joker stroked Dick's hair fondly. "I love them both so much - they're really a lot of fun!" His attention switched to the leader of Iso Tech. "She's a beauty! I love her zest." He removed a bracelet from his pocket. "You watch the birdy's friend, Bats!" His fingers snapped it onto the blue-haired woman. She screeched as the shift they'd seen before occurred. Her fangs elongated, her hair rippled blonde and her eyes swarmed with red. Then the thing went wrong. Her nail were pushed up from the claws piercing through her skin. Her fangs stopped halfway and her eyes bounced between colours like her hair. The faint scales now stood up like ruffled feathers. Only half her face, her shoulders and left leg turned blue. Her entire shift was captured. The screaming didn't stop. "You see this, bats? I know you're not too fond of her but think about this applied to him." Joker gestured to the unconscious Richard. "I hear he's going through a shift of his own and when it comes, it won't be pretty. Now, you and your pretty friends - the Hood and that Robin. You'll come to the address attached, unarmed and in civilian clothing. Alone. Come quickly or I'll kill the girl and start on the boy. You have 2 hours and you know better than to try anything. Too-da-loo!"

"He knows…" Tim breathed. "We can't go or we'll all be dead. We need to rescue-"

"No." The Batman growled. "We're doing as he says. If he knows then so does Luthor and we don't even have any evidence that this is what he's doing. He'll blame it on Amanda or some stupid claim will be made. Luthor controls Joker and so long as we provide entertainment, then we'll be fine. But we're changing one thing. I'm going alone."

"What?!" Jason's yell echoed across the cave."We're not."

"I'll make some excuse. Say you're dead or something. I won't let anyone else get hurt."

"No!" Tim exploded. "We're all going!"  
The Bat turned to Jason. "Don't do anything stupid." His cloak billowed behind him and he tore of his cowl.

"I'm coming. Leave Tim but take me." Jason set his guns on the table. "You can't stop me."

The Bat knew what Jason was going to do, there was no stopping the Red Hood. Tim began to protest but was silenced. "Tim, if me and Bruce die… we need someone who will form a new family. We need you to live if we don't. Now stay here. We… love you. But brothers stay true to each other. You need to stay true to me and I'll stay true to Dick. OK?"

Tim nodded, biting back tears. "I don't want to lose my family, Jay."

"Then we'll come back."

The older two slid into the batmobile in their normal clothes and roared away. Leaving Tim to sob in a corner.

The ropes were removed immediately, right after the injections and the bracelets. Mystia flopped onto the floor and Dick clicked his neck back into place - it'd fallen asleep. She'd never sustained a shift so long before - the bracelet had just been silver. Lex smirked. "You have electrifying devices on your wrists and microscopic explosives in your necks. Cross me and you will die." He paused. "Now we've got the pleasantries laid down, you will obey me no matter what. You will kill who I want you to kill. You will take whoever I want you to take. You disobey me, your lover will die. Clear? Now, I want you to go meet the family and bring them to me - alive. For now. I will keep them alive but if you help them… I will not stop until they are dead! Harrison will give you a briefing. Now leave!" As the pair awkwardly shuffled out the room, still damaged, Luthor allowed himself a proper smile. He was finally going to secure his power. They would destroy his enemies and he would obtain all he'd ever dreamed…

The warehouse complex was vast and when they dropped down into one of the corridors, Jason and Bruce swept their gazes around the walls before moving onto the next room.

"Oh my! You actually showed! Now Batsy, follow the sound of my voice! Oh sometimes I kill myself!" The Joker cackled over the intercom. "Sorry boys! I've laid down some arrows for ya to follow."

The luminous zig zags crept across the floor. Bruce lead, desperate to not put Jay in a bad situation if possible. They followed the line dutifully, keeping to it through the twists and turns. It took ten minutes for them to emerge. The ceiling was far above, walkways crossed above. The floor was hard concrete beneath them - it would be harsh, cold and unforgiving in a fight. Harrison muttered in Mystia's ear as she firmly pulled a knife to her throat. "Try to be convincing."

"If this was real, you'd already be dead." Mystia snarled slightly. She was launched ahead of the muscled soldier that was Harrison but kept close enough for the knife to remain against her throat. She felt the shackles weigh down her wrists, they pushed the bracelet into her skin.

Jason almost lunged to save her as they stepped into the light. Her eyes watered on command as her head was lent back. Bruce practically dragged him back. "I'm sorry, Jay, I'm so, so sorry." The tears were real now. She couldn't help it. Jay was like a brother to her, the only one Dick had trusted to make contact with her. She heard half a whimper as Dick was dragged forward, he obviously couldn't stand hurting his family. She felt so guilty as she watched him forced to his knees, he was doing everything for her.

Yet Mystia was doing everything for him too. "Dick, it'll be fine. Listen to me Grayson!" Bruce called softly, comforting him.

Jay muttered to Mystia. "You and Grayson'll be OK, just chill."

"Where is your backup?" Bruce asked, his voice growing threatening.

"We don't need it." Harrison spat back. "You'll find the restraints in the box to your right. Put 'em on or blood will be plenty on this floor tonight." Jay slunk to retrieve them and chucked a set to Bruce. He didn't hesitate for a moment. The chain was sent skittering across the floor only to wrap around Dick's capturer's legs. He fell forward, the knife falling from his hand. Harrison revealed a handgun and aimed it at Jay. "Stand down."

Bruce hurled a batarang but it was easily avoided. Nightwing was sprawled on the floor and he started to crawl from the fight when Del'Isola yelled for him to move. "I'll slit her throat!"

"No!" Nightwing lurched forward, his ankle chains catching. "Just let her go!"

Harrison hesitated and Jason leapt from behind, wrapping a cord around her neck. She choked and after a minute fell down in a faint to the floor, breathing heavily in her sleep. Bruce knelt down and began picking the lock to Dick's cuffs. "I'll never do anything to hurt you again, Dick. I promise. I'm so sorry." The locks clicked and Dick embraced his father. Jay hugged Mystia and then followed Bruce's example. Dick howled slightly and Mystia dare not meet Jay's eyes. "I love you Bruce." Dick managed to speak through sobs. "I do."

Bruce supported him as he got to his feet. "It's OK, Dick. We'll just go home."

"Where's Tim?"

"We made him hide if things didn't go right."

"Thank you, Bruce. You've made this slightly worse cause now Tim'll be all alone. But at least he's safe."

"What?"

The thud of Mystia's fist against Jay's head resounded dully in the warehouse. "JAY!" Bruce called, his voice raised.

He turned to Mystia. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Bruce." Grayson spoke in monotone, clearly desperate for forgiveness.

"Dick?"

Bruce crumpled as he was struck with a hard blow to the neck. He rolled to stare at the two as they towered above him. "Why?"

"We can't tell you." Mystia frowned. "Not yet."

Then Bruce fell into blackness.


End file.
